A Weekend Away With Team Free Will
by shadow9375
Summary: Sam, Dean and Castiel go away for the weekend. Set early season 12.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Please review!**

Castiel jerked upright, instantly alert, rolling off his bed and onto his feet, wary but not alarmed, as the sound of familiar voices filled the entryway of the bunker. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his trench coat, trying to orient himself in the dimly lit room. As an angel, Cas didn't _need_ to sleep - he'd really struggled to accustom himself to a sleeping routine as a human, but he supposed under threat for his life while being hunted by angels and reapers hadn't exactly been conducive to a good night's sleep. He'd had to _sleep with one eye open_ as humans say. He still didn't know what sheep he was supposed to have been counting when asleep, but he did know that now, even as an angel, he found it eased a great deal of his tension and immense guilt to be still for a few hours and close his eyes. It was less about sleep, and more about meditation, a way to focus and direct his thoughts, to be less consumed by his own inner turmoil and more attentive to any detail that could lead him to Lucifer.

Hugging his trench coat tightly to his body to ward off the morning chill of the bunker, Castiel opened his door and stepped into the brightly lit hallway.

"Hello Mary," Castiel said warmly, pleased to see _Mother Winchester_ as Crowley called her.

"Hello Castiel," she replied, her eyes glancing over his mussed up bed hair with evident amusement.

"Hey Mom," Sam called, poking his head around the door, "You want some pancakes?"

Mary hesitated, looking doubtful.

"Chocolate chip..." Sam said teasingly, his hopeful puppy dog eyes were enough to melt a much sterner woman than Mary Winchester into butter.

"Alright," she said hesitantly. "That would be lovely Sam."

"Hey Cas." Sam said, smiling at him.

"Where's Dean?" Castiel asked, looking around for the hunter.

"In the kitchen, stirring the - DEAN! Don't eat ALL the chocolate chips!" Sam called, striding back into the kitchen to rescue the pancake mixture from his brother. He was just in time to stop Dean from turning breakfast into beer flavoured pancakes. Mary and Castiel stood in the hall smiling as they listened to the familiar exchange of " _bitch" "jerk"_ as Dean was reassigned to pancake toppings.

In no time at all, Sam managed to cook up a dozen pancakes and Mary and Cas joined him in the war room where Dean was setting out plates, maple syrup, cans of whipped cream and several punnets of strawberries.

"Help yourself." Sam said, smiling as he placed a pancake on his mother's plate.

"Yeah, dig in!" Dean agreed, shaking a can of cool whip a little too enthusiastically and spraying cream across the room, splattering Sam's duffel bag and half the room with white foam.

"Dean!" Sam said exasperatedly.

"Did those pancakes come with a slice of crybaby pie on the side?" Dean joked. "Relax Sammy, it's fine," he promised, wiping cream off Sam's bag with his sleeve.

Mary shook her head, pressing her lips together to keep from smiling.

"Want one, Cas?" Sam said, offering the angel a plate.

"Alright." Castiel said reluctantly, never having tried pancakes before. He studied the Winchester's for a moment, unsure how to proceed with his pancake. Obviously it wasn't acceptable to spray cream down the table as Dean had done, so instead he watched Mary adding syrup and strawberries to her pancake. He watched, fascinated, as Sam made a cream spiral on his pancake. Deciding he would give it a go, Castiel trickled some maple syrup onto his pancake, tasting the sticky sweetness with the tip of his finger. He picked up the cream next, pleased to discover it was easier than it looked as he drew a face on his pancake, adding strawberries for eyes. He sat back, pleased with his efforts.

"Aren't you going to eat that Castiel?" Mary asked.

"Oh. Right. Of course." Castiel said with an odd mixture of awkwardness and false bravado, picking up a knife and fork and proceeding to shovel large pieces of pancake into his mouth, much to Mary's amusement.

"Want some more strawberries Mom?" Sam asked, holding out the nearest punnet.

"No, that's okay. Thanks Sam." Mary said, with a warm smile for her son. "I just thought I'd drop in and check on you and Dean. I've actually got a case in Idaho to get to."

"Oh, okay." Sam said, trying to smile, but looking disappointed.

"What's the case?" Dean asked with his mouth full.

"It's nothing really, just a favour for an old friend." Mary said evasively.

Dean frowned at his mother, as if wanting to push her for more answers, but the look Sam threw him made him think better of it. He looked down at his plate instead.

"Are you boys free this weekend?" Mary asked, and Dean looked up, hopeful. " Well, it's just, I was trying to use the Internet on the computer, and I won one of those travel auction things. It's just a couple nights in a resort... With a jacuzzi. I thought maybe you boys could use a break for a couple of days."

Dean and Sam exchanged looks. They weren't making any progress with Castiel's whole _hunt Lucifer_ plan, and they weren't working any active cases at the moment. Truth be told, they'd been running themselves ragged, desperately trying to find any lead on Lucifer, not entirely because of the threat the archangel represented, but more so because of the heavy toll the guilt was taking on Castiel, the weight of the responsibility for being the one who had released Lucifer from the cage. Sam knew what that guilt felt like, having carried it for over a year before they'd managed to trap Lucifer in the cage again.

"Sure Mom, sounds great." Sam said with a smile.

"Yeah, awesome." Dean agreed.

"Wonderful." Mary said, passing the ticket envelope to Sam. "I should get going, hit the road, you know." She said, hugging each of her boys, including Castiel, before leaving.

A few hours later, the boys were on the road. Dean was nursing a pancake and syrup induced stomach ache in the backseat, so it was Sam's turn to drive. Castiel had offered, but Dean was hesitant about entrusting _Baby_ to Cas. Just because he hadn't crashed his car yet didn't mean Cas was a _good driver._

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Please review!**

Castiel was sitting shotgun, with Sam behind the wheel. By the time they'd been on the road for an hour or so, the silence in the car was becoming oppressive. Dean was sleeping off his pancakes in the back seat, lulled to sleep by the reassuring hum of _Baby's_ engine, while Castiel had run out of conversation starters and had taken to staring out the window. Sam was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, throwing furtive glances at Cas as if he wanted to ask him something, but couldn't quite pluck up the nerve.

"This silence is very uncomfortable." Castiel observed after a while, noting Sam's increasing tension.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "How about some music?" he offered.

"Sure." Castiel said with a small smile. "I like music."

"Great." Sam said, keeping his eyes on the road as Castiel dug around under his seat for Dean's box of cassette tapes.

"Um..." Castiel said, studying the labels on the tapes, unsure which one Sam would prefer to listen to.

"Find something you like, Cas." Sam suggested, plugging in his IPod and passing it to Castiel.

"Oh. Alright." Castiel agreed, abandoning the tapes and looking a little intimidated by Sam's high tech gadget, but scrolling through the song list in an attempt to do as he was asked. Even though he hadn't been _under orders_ since the Apocalypse, Castiel's first instinct was to please people, a bad habit the Winchesters were trying to break him of, but it wasn't easy to undo several thousand Millenia of blind obedience.

After a a few minutes, Cas settled on _Unstoppable_ by _Sia,_ much to Sam's surprise. He didn't know what kind of music Castiel usually enjoyed, but he certainly hadn't pegged him for a Sia fan.

"What the hell is this?" a sleepy voice said from the back seat. Dean was awake.

"Music." Castiel replied helpfully.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Turn it off." he ordered bossily.

"Alright." Castiel said, instantly compliant, reaching for the volume control.

"No." Sam said, stopping Cas. The angel and Dean both stared at the youngest Winchester in surprise. "Driver picks the music, remember?" he said, no shortage of challenge and sass in his voice as he stared his brother down.

"Fine. Whatever." Dean shrugged, rolling his jacket into a pillow under his head to get more comfortable.

Sam grinned and winked at Cas, humming along as the song switched to _Hey Brother._

Castiel settled back into his seat, a bemused expression on his face as a small smile tugged at his lips.

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Please review!**

A number of uneventful hours passed, not counting the heart stopping moment when a bird had hit the Impala's windscreen, much to Castiel's dismay. Dean had insisted on stopping to check the glass for non-existent cracks and scratches, before getting back in the car and remarking to Sam that "at least it wasn't another dog." By the time they rolled into town in the early afternoon, all three of them were getting a little tired; it had been a long drive and Castiel was looking rather glum, a particularly pensive look on his face as he lamented the loss of such a fine bird. The Winchesters wondered if his preoccupation was due to the fact that the little creature had _wings,_ always a sore point with the angel. Needless to say, they were all relieved to arrive at the holiday apartment Mary had booked for them.

Cas and Dean waited in the car, while Sam went to the Reception Office to check in and get the room key. A few minutes later, he was back, empty-handed.

"Check in isn't until 3." He informed them, leaning against the Impala. "So, we've got a few hours to kill... Time - time to waste." He added hastily, seeing that Castiel was about to ask him about his use of the word _kill._

"There's a café down the street." Dean said with a grin.

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing full well that in his brother's mind, café meant the possibility of pretty waitresses, and the combination of Dean and a pretty waitress meant... Well, he'd rather not think about it; he was relieved they wouldn't be sharing a room for once.

"Come on then." Sam said reluctantly, leading the way down the street.

...

"Udder Delights?" Dean repeated skeptically, staring at the menu emblazoned with the name of the café.

"They make their own cheeses and stuff like that." Sam muttered quietly, trying to shush his brother before he could say something rude that might drive one of the employees to spit in their food.

"Right..." Dean said slowly, the word practically dripping with sarcasm.

"Udder." Castiel repeated, frowning. "I see, it's word play. Clever. It should be _utter delights_ but they changed the letters to mean the udder of a cow and of course dairy production: milk, cream, butter, cheeses, yoghurt..."

"Yeah, we get it, Einstein." Dean said impatiently, trying to shush the angel before the waitress reached their table.

"What can I get for you boys?" a pretty girl with long dark hair asked.

Dean smirked and opened his mouth to make some flirty comment, but the light glinting on the girl's engagement ring changed his mind.

"Coffee, black." He replied, handing her the menu without another word.

"Latte." Sam said with a smile, nudging Cas to let him know it was his turn to order.

"Uh," Castiel said, a little flustered by the social expectations. "A cappuccino and a triple cream bry."

The waitress frowned in confusion.

"Bree." Sam corrected him in a gentle undertone.

"Then why is it spelled like bry? It should be B-R -"

"It's French, Cas." Dean said with a shrug.

"Ahem..." Sam cleared his throat. "He'll have a cappuccino and a triple cream _Brie_ to go." Sam said quickly, before Cas could open his mouth and start discussing the variations and complexities in a comparison of English and French linguistics.

"Coming right up." the waitress said, raising an eyebrow at them, before walking back to the counter.

"Dude..." Dean said, shaking his head before covering his face in apparent embarrassment.

"What?" Castiel said uncomprehendingly.

"Never mind, Cas." Sam said, biting back a grin.

10 minutes later, they were back out on the street with their coffees, Castiel clutching a brown paper bag containing his triple cream _Brie._

"Where to next?" Sam asked, noticing that Dean was still casting odd sideways glances at Castiel, as though sorely tempted to see what other obscure facts were knocking around in their little nerd angel's head.

"Cas, wh-" Dean's phone rang, just as he was about to start teasing Castiel.

"Saved by the bell." Sam muttered.

"Oh, hey Garth." Dean said, talking into the phone. "Not much. Yeah, how you been? Yeah, alright. Lunch? Sunday? Uh, yeah... Okay, alright. See you then, man."

"Garth?" Sam repeated.

"Yeah." Dean shrugged, there hadn't been an option to say no, Garth was, well, Garth.

"Okkaaayyy..." Sam said slowly, drawing the syllables out and exchanging a look with his brother.

Dean shrugged his shoulders and led the way down the Main Street lined with small shops and cafés...

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Thanks to Kathy for your review - totally made my day! Thanks also to those following the story, hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am...**

Every few minutes, one of the boys would stop to peer in the window of an interesting looking shop. Sam and Dean had to drag Castiel away from a Celtic shop with angel statues displayed out the front; he was trailing his fingers over the stone wings with an expression of longing and deep sadness.

"C'mon Cas." Dean muttered, gripping the angel's elbow, but not before Sam had a word with the shopkeeper, returning to the group with a little souvenir for Castiel; he hoped the angel wouldn't be offended by it.

"Here." Sam said to Castiel, once they were back out on the street. He held up a leather necklace adorned with three small pendants: a silver angel wing, a pentagram, and a tiny glass phial of rock salt.

"Manly, Sam." Dean said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Castiel stowed the necklace in the innermost pocket of his trenchcoat, next to his heart; the angel's gratitude for Sam's kind gesture shining in his blue eyes.

"Thanks Sam." Cas said simply, with a warm smile.

"No problem, Cas." Sam said with an embarrassed shrug, clearing his throat as his face flushed crimson and leading the way down the street.

...

 _Cold beer, hot staff._ Dean read off the board outside a local brewery. "Free tastings 2 - 5 pm. C'mon Sam!" he exclaimed. But Sam dug his heels in, he wasn't spending his holiday nursing a hungover big brother.

"Absolutely. No. Way. Dean." Sam said firmly, continuing down the street, as Castiel looked anxiously at Dean, not wanting his friend to be upset.

"We'll go for a drink at the pub later." Sam promised.

"Okay, fine." Dean agreed, allowing himself to be led away from the brewery with a twinge of regret.

They walked past butchers, bakeries, jewellery stores, pubs, cafés, and even a puppet shop offering free psychic palm readings. Next door was a second hand book shop and Sam darted inside before Dean could stop him.

"Sam... Let's go!" Dean said in a furtive whisper, earning a glare from the stern looking woman behind the counter.

"5 minutes Dean. I just want to have a look." Sam said, scanning the various book spines which were jumbled together in no particular order, alphabetical or otherwise.

Dean huffed a sigh and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Cas might want a book." Sam suggested innocently, nodding to the angel who was standing patiently by the door.

"I think they ran outta scrolls and stone tablets a few millennia ago Sammy." Dean said sarcastically, hating the stuffy bookshop more with every passing second.

"So, go ask her for a copy of Busy Asian Beauties, if that's more your thing." Sam said mockingly, picking up a weighty tome on 14th century witch-burnings.

"Thankyou Sam." Castiel said awkwardly. "But those magazines aren't really appropri- Garfield Comics!" the angel exclaimed excitedly.

"You like Garfield?" Dean said incredulously.

Castiel nodded, already perusing the closest _Garfield and Friends._

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Dean allowed Sam and Cas to venture into the dusty shelves of the tiny bookshop. After nearly an hour, with no end in sight, as Sam and Cas pored over book after book, _freaking nerds,_ Dean was itching to slip out and grab a cold one at the pub down the street. He started edging toward he door, when something caught his eye. _Vinyl records._ ACDC to be precise. _Sweet mother of awesome!_ He hadn't seen these kinds of records in years! Flicking through the rack, Dean was thrilled to find a number of his personal favourites. He selected a handful to take to the counter: ACDC, Guns n Roses, and even Credence Clearwater Revival.

"Find something you like, Dean?" Sam said with a sly grin, playfully nudging his big brother in the ribs as he loaded up the counter with the books he and Cas had selected.

"Shut-up Sammy." Dean said, pulling a face at his brother, as they paid for their things and left the shop. Dean secretly couldn't wait to play some of his new records. He'd found a record player and an old gramophone in the bunker when they'd first moved in. Now he'd finally be able to put it to good use...

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Thanks to Kathy for your reviews - you really inspire me to keep writing! Thanks also to those following the story, hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am...**

Outside on the street, 10 minutes later, Castiel came to a dead halt outside a small shop. Pausing to inhale deeply, he strode into the shop as though hypnotised.

"Cas?"

"Cas, wait up!" Sam and Dean called, following him into the shop: _3 Wishes Candle Barn._ Upon entering, both Winchesters had to fight against the impulse to cover their noses, their eyes instantly watering as their senses struggled against the overpowering pungent smell of perfumes wafting through the tiny shop.

"Cas?" Dean called, as the girl behind the counter smiled at him. Smiling back, Dean walked further into the shop, past row upon row of bath salts, bath bombs, bath crystals, candle burners, candles in every imaginable scent and even make your own candle kits. He finally found the angel in a corner of the store; Dean and Sam watched curiously as Castiel moved from candle to candle breathing in deeply, his blue eyes alight with sheer bliss as he inhaled every delicious molecule of scent - he was practically delirious, walking in a vapour cloud of enchanting scents.

"Cas?" the boys said in unison, never having seen the angel in this state before.

"Dean. Sam." Castiel said in his husky voice. "Come here. Look. Smell." he said excitedly, shoving candles under their noses.

"Wow, Cas." Sam said, his eyes watering.

"Yeah, wow is right." Dean muttered.

"I like this one." Castiel said decidedly, cradling a murky brown candle in his hands and breathing deeply.

Dean raised an eyebrow, but uncharacteristically said nothing, just smiling to himself; it had been a long time since he'd seen Cas so happy.

"Which scent is that one, Cas? Sandalwood?" Sam asked, eying the brown candle.

When Castiel didn't answer, but continued to stand there blissfully content, Sam reached out and gently turned the candle so he could read the label.

" _Chocolate heaven..."_ Sam said incredulously, biting back a grin and glancing at Dean to see his reaction.

With a rare display of tact, Dean made no teasing remarks, but picked up a multipack of _chocolate heaven_ candles for Cas to take home to the bunker.

"Any other ones you like, Cas?" Dean asked, waving an arm at the shelves of candles. "Vanilla, lavender, rosewater?"

Cas shook his head slowly with a small, content smile playing on his lips. "Just this one." he said with a happy sigh, smelling the candle again.

"Alright then, let's go, if you're done." Dean said, leading the way to the counter to pay for Castiel's candles himself. Cas was reluctant to put the candle down so the shop assistant could scan the barcode, his blue eyes never leaving the candle as she slipped it carefully into a brown paper bag.

"Have you been to the soap factory yet?" the shop assistant asked, _Linda,_ Dean noted mentally from her name tag.

"Uh, no. No, we haven't." Dean said with a grin. "Whereabouts is that?"

"Just back up the street, on the corner." she replied.

"Oh... We must've missed it." Dean said with feigned disappointment; he'd seen the shop alright and avoided the luridly pink, flowery display window on purpose.

"My sister owns it." Linda explained. "Here, take these." she said, handing Dean 3 paper bags. "Tell her I sent you and she'll give you some free samples."

"Awesome. Thanks." Dean said, smiling at her as they left the shop.

Once they'd left the candle shop, the trio made their way back up the street to the little soap shop Linda had mentioned.

"Dude, you're up." Dean muttered to Sam, holding out the paper sample bags and jerking his head toward the doorway of the shop.

"Yeah, no thanks, Dean." Sam replied, taking a seat on a wooden bench inside the stone courtyard next to the store.

"Alright, wait here then." Dean shrugged, disappearing into the shop alone.

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer - I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers. Thanks to Kathy for your reviews. Thanks also to those following the story, my apologies for how long it's taken to post the new chapter...**

Castiel sank down on the wooden bench next to Sam, not saying a word, just enjoying the peaceful serenity of the place. Nice tall shady trees, red geraniums growing wild along the sidewalks, couples and young families walking past, mingling and lingering in the various shops, and he could still smell his candle through the paper bag the shop girl had put it in. It was the most relaxed the angel had felt in a long time. In this tiny town, away from everything, it was almost like time stood still; the problems that plagued his every waking minute forgotten for the time being.

A few minutes later, Dean emerged from the shop carrying 3 paper bags containing tiny soap samples. Castiel could identify them by scent alone - cucumber, French vanilla and mocha.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Sam asked his brother, checking the time on his phone screen.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Dean agreed, leading the way down the street to a German pub bustling with lunchtime busy-ness.

"Sam, check it out." Dean said with a grin, pointing to a chalkboard sign just outside the door. Sam paused and read: _Friday night special - hotdog challenge. 3 foot long kransky, topped with sauerkraut and a pint of German lager. Challenge must be completed in 12 minutes to be eligible for our free t-shirt._ Sam shook his head, not looking forward to the prospect of Dean hurling 3 feet of German sausage with a side of sauerkraut.

"Table for 3, please." Sam said to the maitre d.

"Of course." the man said with a slight bow, leading them to a small table set in a quiet corner of the pub.

"Can I get you some drinks to start?" the waiter offered as he passed around the menus.

"I'll just have a beer." Dean shrugged.

"Make it 2." Sam said, already perusing the lunch menu.

Castiel quickly ordered an iced tea for himself.

"Coming right up," the waiter said with a smile, jotting their drinks down on his little notepad. "Just let me know when you're ready to order."

Castiel glanced around the the pub as Sam and Dean discussed the lunch menu. The angel's blue eyes taking in every detail of the ornately carved wood panelled walls and the old antique tapestries hanging from every wall. Cas watched the other diners with fascination, his eyes travelling across the room, noting the doors that marked the restrooms.

"Excuse me for a minute." Castiel said distractedly, his chair scraping the polished wooden floor with a screeching sound that made nearby diners cringe. Noting Dean's slight frown, Castiel made sure to carefully lift his chair his time as he pushed it back against the table. He gave the boys a warm smile as he walked to the restroom door and pushed it open.

Locking the door and standing in front of the mirror, Cas unbuttoned his white shirt with fumbling fingers. He could feel something wet on his abdomen causing his shirt to stick to his skin. Carefully peeling the material away, he was startled to find his fingertips wet with a red sticky substance - _blood._ Throwing his trenchcoat on the floor, Cas all but ripped his shirt off, trying to find the source of the bleeding. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he was reminded instantly of the last time something had been wrong and he'd locked himself in the bathroom in a state of barely controlled panic. Unwanted images flooded Castiel's brain. Memories of the time his vessel had been overrun with the worst kind of monster imaginable - _Leviathans._

Forcing himself back to the present and edging closer to the mirror, Castiel noticed a small gash in his side, oozing red and glowing blue. Castiel held his hand over the wound, focusing, channelling his grace, as the cut healed itself over instantly, the skin knitting itself together, leaving him without a trace of a mark on him. But what had caused it? Pulling his shirt back on, Castiel noticed a small rip. Inspecting his trenchcoat, a found a similar tear in the inside pocket where he kept his spare angel blade. _Of course._ The blade had sliced through the material and only just scratched him, but he'd have to be more careful now. Castiel moved the blade to his other pocket, the tip pointing upward this time, he didn't want to have another scare like this.

Suddenly a knock came at the bathroom door. "Sir?" a voice called. "You've been in there awhile. Is everything alright?"

Quickly buttoning his shirt and slipping into his trenchcoat, Castiel opened the door. "I'm fine, thankyou. Urination." he said with a nod as he walked quickly back to his seat at the Winchesters table.

"You good, Cas?" Dean asked with a concerned look as the angel slipped back into his seat looking a little ruffled.

"I'm fine, Dean." Castiel said, avoiding eye contact and gulping down the tall glass of iced tea which had arrived while he was in the restroom. Dean didn't look convinced, but let it go and said nothing more about it.

"Ready to order?" a waiter asked, standing by the table with a small notebook and pen in hand.

"Cas? Do you know what you want?" Sam asked.

"What are you having?" Castiel asked, picking up the menu and skimming over it.

"The pork schnitzel with mushroom gravy and butter mash." Sam said, shrugging.

"Okay, I'll try that." Castiel said eagerly.

"Make it two." Sam said to the waiter who promptly scribbled it down. "Dean?"

"Three." Dean said, handing the waiter his menu.

"Alrighty then, we'll have it ready in no time at all." the waiter promised with a smile as he strode away to the kitchen.

The boys continued their drinks in silence, Dean now and then casting a glance at Castiel, but making no verbal comment.

In the time it took Dean to start on his third beer, their meals arrived. Dean was more relaxed now as he dove into his food with relish, Sam made a comment about the huge size of their meals but managed to eat all of his with surprising gusto considering the lack of salad, as Castiel picked at his, finding particular enjoyment in tasting the mushroom gravy mixed with the buttery potato mash, savouring every delicious molecule.

When the waiter came to collect their plates, the Winchesters had both finished their meals, but Castiel was still playing with his, drawing Enochian sigils with a fork in his gravy and mash.

"So, how was everything?" the waiter asked.

Castiel didn't look up and Dean was still drinking his beer, so Sam replied with a smile, "Great, really delicious. Thankyou."

"I can get you a container to take that home in if you're finished sir." the waiter said to Castiel. Dean elbowed the angel in the ribs and Cas stopped doodling the doorway to heaven and looked up at the waiter.

"Oh, uh, sure." he said, allowing the waiter to take his plate.

Sam handed the waiter his credit card, as Dean waited for the man to leave their table before convulsing with silent laughter.

Castiel looked from Sam to Dean with a bewildered expression. Sam was trying not to smile, and Dean was hiccuping from trying to drink beer and not laugh all at once.

In a few minutes, the waiter returned with Castiel's take out container and Sam's card. "Would you like a receipt?" he asked politely.

"No, that's fine." Sam said with a smile, pocketing the card.

"Let's go guys." he muttered, as the trio left the table and the restaurant behind. Dean picking up Castiel's leftovers, shaking his head and smiling, as the angel left the table, totally oblivious.

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers at the CW. Apologies for how long it's taken to post the new chapter.**

Back out on the street, Dean averted his eyes from Castiel who was busy examining a tacky chef statue and rubbing chalk off the menu board. Choosing not to make a comment, Dean turned to his brother instead. "What do you want to do now?" He asked.

Castiel stopped rubbing chalk off the board and turned his attention to the Winchesters.

Sam shrugged, checking his phone for the time again. "We can just head up to the resort, I think. It's after 3, so we should be allowed to check in now." he suggested, leading the way back up the street. Dean fell into step beside him, Castiel bringing up the rear, leaving the chalkboard behind with obvious regret.

The resort was set on a hill just off the Main Street of town. Sam climbed it easily with his long legs, but Dean, stuffed full with half a dozen beers and a large pub meal, found the walk back to the resort a bit more of a struggle than usual; not to mention all their hands were weighed down with bags of books - Castiel's candles residing safely in his pockets of course.

When they finally arrived, panting, at the resort, Castiel hovered next to Dean as his friend clutched a stitch in his side. Sam shook his head with a grin and went on ahead to check in and collect the room key from the manager.

"Dean!" Sam called out, a minute later, waving the room key triumphantly.

"Cool." Dean responded, standing up to his proper height, as he gave his brother a half hearted thumbs up and dug the key to _Baby_ out of his pocket so they could start taking their stuff in. Handing Cas his bag of books to carry, Dean grabbed his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. They trudged up two flights of stairs to the apartment, dragging their feet after their big lunch and long walk.

"Wait here, Cas." Dean ordered, as they dumped their bags in the living room. "Sam and I can get the rest."

Castiel opened his mouth to argue that he could help, but Dean had already disappeared down the stairs. Frowning, the angel looked around the apartment curiously, surveying the wide screen TV and bookshelves with interest. He walked through each of the bedrooms, noting two single beds and one queen bed. Making his way onto the balcony, Cas looked out on the rolling hills dotted with sheep, the gardens below and trees housing countless birds, all his Father's creations, works of art. It was peaceful here. Watching the birds and listening to their noisy chatter, Castiel had an idea. Seizing the duffel bag Dean had dumped on the floor, Castiel pulled Sam's trail mix out of the side zipper pocket, walking out onto the balcony with the mixture of almonds, dried fruit, and granola in his hands...

 **Next chapter coming soon, promise. Sorry this one's so short! :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers at the CW. Keep the reviews coming Kathy, you make my day!**

Dean trudged up the stairs behind Sam, his big moose of a brother taking the stairs two at a time. Suddenly Sam stopped; Dean nearly crashing into him.

"Sam! For the-" Dean stopped short. " _What. The. Hell?"_ he said, caught completely off guard by the vision that greeted them at the top of the stairs.

Castiel was standing on the balcony outside, covered with birds. There were birds on the balcony rail, birds perched on his arms and his shoulders, not to mention one very large green parrot sitting on top of his head. Dean stood stunned, gaping at the angel. Sam slid his phone out of his pocket to snap a picture as a pair of pigeons dipped their heads into the angel's coat pockets to gulp down beakfuls of trail mix.

At the sudden flash of Sam's camera, the flock of birds took flight, showering the angel in feathers and granola. Castiel looked a little disappointed as his feathered friends abandoned the balcony and took refuge in a nearby pine tree. He sighed and brushed the feathers and half eaten trail mix from his trench coat.

He was still stroking one long green feather absentmindedly when the Winchesters joined him on the balcony.

Dean opened his mouth, couldn't think of anything to say, closed it, then opened it again, staring perplexedly at his friend. The sight of Dean rendered speechless, looking very much like a gobsmacked fish, elicited a grin from Sam, who turned and led the way indoors with a shake of his head.

Shutting the sliding door tightly to prevent any stray birds from following them in, they moved to the next task: unpacking.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing?" Dean said, throwing Sam a look as his little brother claimed the only queen bed.

"Unpacking." Sam said, with a frown and a slight shrug.

"Wrong." Dean said, moving to swap beds with his brother.

"Who says you get the big bed? I'm taller." Sam argued, standing defensively with his arms crossed.

"Dude, I called dibs _and_ I'm older." Dean added, trying to get around Sam, without success.

"it's my _birthday_ tomorrow!" Sam exclaimed furiously.

"Since when?" Dean scoffed.

"Since BIRTH!" Sam said exasperatedly.

"Oh." Dean said, thinking hard for a counter argument. "Rock, paper, scissors?" he offered after a few seconds, holding his palm out with his fist resting on top.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Fine." he agreed through gritted teeth.

A few seconds later...

"C'mon!" Dean groaned. "How does paper beat a rock?!"

Sam grinned, claiming victory.

"Which bed do you want, Cas?" Dean asked, turning to the angel, who had stood silently observing the conversation with vague interest.

"I don't sleep." Castiel reminded him.

"Oh, right." Dean said, shrugging and dumping his duffel bag on the bed nearest the door to Sam's room...


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Supernatural. All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers at the CW.**

 **Thanks to sammygirl312's review and request, continuing on with our story...**

"Dude, I'm starving!" Dean complained, eying off the stash of snacks Sam had stored on the top shelf of the cupboard, out of Dean's reach.

"No, you're not." Sam said, looking up from the travel guide he was reading to glance at his watch. "It's only 4:30 Dean. You're just bored."

"Am not." Dean muttered, grabbing a beer from the door of the fridge.

"Find something to do then." Sam sighed, looking up from his travel guide impatiently.

"Like...?" Dean said, dragging the word and the conversation out just to annoy Sam.

Sam huffed a sigh and glared, rewarding Dean with a sarcastic eye roll.

"Watch a movie, read a book, go for a drive, pester Cas. Just do - something." Sam said, returning to his travel guide for the fourth time in 60 seconds.

"Hey Cas!" Dean called, the angel appearing in the doorway almost instantly.

"What is it Dean?" Castiel asked.

"I'm bored." Dean stated. "Got any bright ideas?"

"We should play Twister." Castiel suggested, after a moment's hard thinking.

"Or something else." Dean shrugged, taking a swig of his beer.

A few minutes later, Castiel was on his hands and knees pulling games out of the cupboard, exclaiming excitedly over each one. "Monopoly!"

"No." Dean said.

"Cluedo!"

"Still no."

Cas pulled out Scrabble, Rummikub, Battleships, even Hungry Hungry Hippo's and Go Fish, as Dean booed each suggestion.

Feeling sorry for Cas, Sam joined the discussion, voting for Trivial Pursuit instead of Dean's suggestion of Poker.

"I'm not familiar with this game." Castiel admitted, examining the instructions and turning them this way and that, trying to decipher the faded coffee-stained page.

"According to this, you must roll the dice and whichever color your token lands on, you must answer the question with the corresponding color on the card." Castiel read, frowning quizzically.

"It's easy, Cas. You'll pick it up." Sam promised, placing 3 tokens on the board. "You playing, Dean?" He asked, glancing up at his older brother who stood, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, not joining in.

"I don't know." Dean shrugged, non-committal.

Sam instantly turned puppy dog eyes on Dean - his brother could never refuse him for long. The effect was compounded doubly so by Castiel turning big blue eyes on the hunter, "please, Dean," he pleaded earnestly.

"Alright." Dean said, throwing up his hands and sinking into a seat next to Castiel.

"It's your roll." Castiel said, passing Dean the dice.

Dean rolled his eyes and the dice at the same time.

"2...3...4... Red!" Castiel declared, taking a question card to read to Dean.

"Okay. What is the only man-made object that is observable from the moon?" Castiel asked solemnly, determined not to give anything away.

Dean frowned and shrugged. "Pass."

"It's ... The Great Wall of China... Wait - that can't be right.." Castiel frowned.

" Forget it, Cas - next!" Dean said, passing the dice to Sam.

"Okay, college boy." Dean said, selecting a card. "Which artist painted the Mona Lisa?"

"Easy - Da Vincii." Sam said confidently.

"Damn it." Dean muttered, reluctantly awarding a point to Sam.

Cas was next. "Alright..." Sam said slowly, deciding he would pick an easy one, since the game was based around human knowledge anyway. "Cas, what did the 7 dwarves do for a job?"

Cas stared at him blankly. "Dwarves?" He repeated, as Sam nodded encouragingly. " The genetic trait for dwarfism is quite rare among humans, but a diminished stature would suggest they find employment using their size to an advantage. Perhaps something menial or demeaning..." He frowned as he considered the possibilities. "A smaller stature suggests they possess an ability to access smaller spaces, crawl spaces maybe?" He muttered to himself. "I've got it!" He exclaimed, as both Winchesters struggled to keep their expressions neutral. " Inspecting small animal dwellings for structural soundness. Dogs still get termites, right?..."

Sam looked at the card, then at Cas, then at his brother who was choking on his beer, and back to the card again. Deciding not to mention Snow White, Sam opted for, "Uh, yeah - you got it right." He threw a look at Dean, daring him to say a word.

"Sam and I are tied on score." Castiel said thoughtfully. "Do you want me to ask you an easy one, Dean?"

"I'm good!" Dean said, sitting up straighter and giving the angel his full attention.

"Who sang 'My Way?" Castiel asked.

"I - I don't - that - that's NOT real music!" Dean stuttered furiously.

"I'll give you a hint." Castiel said kindly, lowering his voice, and whispering the answer in Dean's ear.

"Is it... Frank Sinatra?" Dean asked hesitantly, playing along, as Sam rolled his eyes and Castiel smiled proudly.

"Yes!" Castiel exclaimed. "Well done, Dean!"

"Thanks." Dean said sarcastically, as Sam shook his head and grinned.

"Right, Sammy, you're up!" Dean said, clearing his throat. "Which river runs through London, England?"

"The Thames." Sam said, without blinking, taking the point effortlessly.

"Okay, Cas, your turn." Sam said, looking anxiously at the card. "How many months have 31 days?" He held his breath, waiting to see what kind of answer Cas would give, would he perhaps bring Julian or Lunar calendars into discussion?

Dean mumbled an old rhyme to himself. "30 days have September, April, June, November..." He counted quickly on his fingers. "Not February." He muttered, quickly placing his hands in his lap, when he realised Cas was staring at him in utter bewilderment.

"Are you... feeling well, Dean?" Cas asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Dean replied.

"My answer is 7." He declared triumphantly to Sam.

"Great job, Cas." Sam said, relieved.

Castiel practically glowed with pride.

The questions continued for about half an hour, until Sam could hear Dean's stomach gurgling. Sensing danger, Sam decided to throw the game, deliberately giving incorrect answers to the last 4 questions, so that Cas would win by default.

"Good game, Cas." Sam said, smiling as the angel insisted on shaking hands with the gracious losers.

"Yeah, awesome." Dean said, unconvincingly, forcing a smile. "What's for dinner?"

"How about pizza?" Sam suggested.

"Sounds great." Dean said as his stomach rumbled again.

"Dean, do you know where pizza comes from?" Castiel asked, testing him.

"Originally - Italy. But America perfected it! As long as it's hot from the oven with extra onions, I don't care!" he said, grinning as he jangled his keys. "Let's go!"...


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own the characters or Supernatural.**

 **All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers.**

 **Sorry it's taken so long to continue this story! Life got crazy.**

 **To those still following it, thankyou for your loyalty and patience.**

 **I will be posting regular chapters throughout the week.**

"You coming, Cas?" Dean asked, as he fumbled through the pockets of his jacket looking for his car keys.

"No." Castiel said absentmindedly.

"Why not?" Dean said.

"I thought I'd sit here quietly." Castiel said vaguely, eying the shelf stacked with books as he spoke.

"Fine. Whatever." Dean shrugged.

"Sam!" He called up the stairs. "Going now!"

"Coming!" Sam exclaimed, rushing out of his room and hurtling down the stairs at breakneck speed.

Castiel smiled at Sam's eagerness. He could almost envision Sam as a child, always looking up to Dean and trying to be like him. The thought brought a small smile to Castiel's face, as the Impala's rumbling engine turned to a roar and the boys disappeared down the street, Baby's tail lights glaring red in their wake.

Castiel stood on the balcony, straining his eyes in the dusky twilight until the Impala turned a corner and the boys were out of sight. Cas turned and walked back inside, plucking a book at random from the shelf as he passed. He felt a strange kind of ache inside him without Dean and Sam close at hand, coupled with a feeling of relief in being alone for a few minutes, when he didn't have to concentrate so hard on giving "correct" human responses. He settled on the stairs to wait, opened his book and began to read...

 **Just a short chapter for now, more to come!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own the characters or Supernatural.**

 **All credit to Eric Kripke and the writers/producers.**

 **Thank you so much for your review Kathy! Your positive feedback means so much to me!**

Castiel had originally picked up this book because a name in the title had caught his eye. It reminded him of someone he had known quite some time ago. Well, it seemed long ago because so much had happened since then, but it was not a long time really, not in the way angels counted time in the many millennia since they first came into being.

Cas studied the cover thoughtfully. The book was entitled "We Need To Talk About Kevin." They had never talked about Kevin, not really. He had gotten a phone call from a very emotional Dean and a request to help expel the angel Gadreel from Sam. So much had happened immediately after Kevin, what with the fight to bring down Metatron and Dean being overtaken by the Mark of Cain and becoming a demon - Kevin had ceased to exist except in distant memory. Perhaps this book would revive some of the better memories they had shared with the young prophet...

20 minutes later, Cas set the book back on the shelf, certain there must be a more cheerful book somewhere on the shelf. This book was not about Kevin, not their Kevin at least! He would just pick something else... He scanned the book titles, searching for something about relaxation. Wasn't that what humans were supposed to do on vacations? Perhaps a DVD instead? He was sure he could work out how to operate the DVD player, it couldn't be that difficult, humans did it all the time!

He was startled when the door opened and Sam and Dean came upstairs - Cas hadn't heard the car pull up outside. The enticing smell of melting cheese and pepperoni wafted through the living room as a grinning Dean set a large pizza box on the dining table and swiped a beer from the fridge.

"You hungry Cas?" Dean asked, lifting the lid of the box so that the delicious smell filled the entire room.

"I don't get hungry." Castiel said, incredulous that Dean could have forgotten this small detail.

"You'll try some though, won't you Cas?" Sam said, turning those big hazel eyes on the angel.

"Uh... Of course." Castiel agreed.

"I'll get some plates." Sam volunteered. Dean immediately protested that they didn't need plates to eat pizza, not wanting to have to do the washing up on his vacation.

Sam ignored him and served the pizza on plates despite his brother. Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't argue, too keen for a delicious pizza to really be bothered about dishes.

The trio settled on the sofa to eat while Dean flicked through the channels on the flat screen TV, finally settling on "Walker - Texas Ranger." Dean seemed to find the show highly entertaining, laughing often and more freely than Castiel or Sam had seen him in a long time. It was a nice feeling, the angel thought, sitting there eating their way through a deluxe meat lovers pizza - the garlic bread had been forgotten on the table. It was rare to see Sam and Dean so relaxed, not covered in blood and bruises for once. If only moments like this could last forever, Castiel thought wistfully, savoring this rare moment of peace for the remainder of the TV episode which involved a thrilling gunfight and Walker saving the day again...


End file.
